Seismic Protection of Data Centers Using Ball-N-Cone Base Isolation
A. M. Nacamuli · Structures Congress 2012 · 2012
Base isolation of mission critical data center equipment provides high performance seismic protection of sensitive systems in seismically active regions. Base isolation technology works by decoupling the isolated elements from the horizontal component of strong ground motion shaking, essentially allowing the ground to move underneath the component without transmitting the damaging ground accelerations above the plane of isolation. The accelerations imposed on base isolated equipment can be five or more times lower when compared with a traditional fixed-base anchorage system, depending on location. This significantly improves the probability that the data center can continue to function following a seismic event. Base isolation has been in use since the 1970s to protect buildings and other large structures from earthquake shaking in seismically active areas around the world. WorkSafe Technologies owns the patents on Ball-N-Cone isolation technology, which uses two steel dishes and ball bearing to provide seismic isolation and has developed systems for isolating individual cabinets as well as an entire access floor. The Ball-N-Cone isolators are well suited to the lighter vertical loads associated with data center components compared to those present in larger building and bridge structures. The WorkSafe ISO-Base planks are unique in applying isolation technology to individual server cabinets, or rows of cabinets. The Isolated Raised Access Floor applies the same isolation technology, but to an entire access floor by moving the isolation plane to the base of the access floor pedestals. The benefits of using isolation as opposed to conventional bracing are two-fold — critical equipment is protected against damaging earthquake accelerations allowing for operational performance and facility managers do not have to deal with installing traditional bracing, with the associated concrete drilling and relatively heavy construction in the sensitive data center environment.